Collar point stiffener



Feb, 25, 1936. J. DE EENEDETT! COLLAR POINT STI FFE'NER Filed Nov. 2, 1932 IN V EN TOR. JOSEPH DEBENEDEW/ Patented Feb. 25, 1936 UNITED STAT ES PATENT. OFFICE 9 Claims.

The invention relates to a device for application to the point portions of a turndown collar of a garment for maintaining said collar. point portions in smooth and unwrinkled condition.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described which is readily adjustable for. operative application to collars of different designswherein the collar point portions. extend different distances from the fold edges of the collars.v

Another object of the invention is to provide a collarpoint stifiener which is operative to resiliently...maintain the stretched and .stifiened collar. point portions in generally fixed relation to the opposed shirt portion and with the tips thereof. adj acent. the. shirt.

A.further object is to provide the foregoing features entirely through the provision and use of a stiffening unit which is applicable to turndown collars of standard construction.

Theinvention possesses other objects and. features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth or beapparent in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the device and in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a stiffener unit embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is an edge view of the unit.

Figure 3 is a view showing the stiffener unit in operative association with a turndown shirt collar and a necktie, theunit being shown in dotted lines by reason of its concealment behind the. outer collar portion and the tie.

Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged sections taken at the" lines 4'-4 and 55 respectively in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged view showing the lower portions of a" strut member of the device, a portion of the structure being broken out for disclosing the operative relations of certain elements of the assembly.

Figure. '7 is a developed view of the elements shown in FigureG.

Figure 8 is an enlarged section taken at 8-8 in Figure 6.

Figure!) is an enlarged perspective view of an element of the strut member.

As particularly shown, the features of the present invention are embodied in the structure of a unit II which essentially comprises a pair of similar members I2 connected adjacent their tips by means of a crossbar I3. For a reason to be hereinafter brought out, the members I2 are of adjustable length, said members comprising upper and lower sections I4 and I5 which are mutually engaged for relative adjustment longitudinally thereof. Preferably, and as shown, the upper sections I4 and the crossbar I3 are integrally related andare shaped of a single piece of "resilient wire of requiredsizeand resiliency for. accomplishing certain purposes to be hereafter-brought out.

By way of illustration, the present stiffener unit is shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 as operatively associated with a turndown collar I6 having inner. and outer parts I1 and I8, a shirt I9 mountingthe collar, and a necktie 2I having neck- I band portions 22 thereof engaged in the fold 23 of the collar and a knot portion 24 thereof disposed between the collar point portions 25. The knot portion 24 of the necktie 2I is arranged to more or less conceal the overlap of the ends of the inner collar part I1 ina usual manner, and a button 26 is operative at said overlap. The collar I6 maybe either releasably or permanently attached to the garment I9, the specific relation being generally immaterial to the present invention. It ,is noted that the collar points 25' lie opposite the garment front 21 and comprise those portions of the, outer, or facing, part I8 of the collar which extend from the ends of the collar andbetween the'collar tips 28 and the collar edge 29 which is defined by the collar fold 23 externally thereof.

It'will now be noted that the members I2 of the unit I I are arranged for concealed installation behind the collar points and extend within the fold 23 for engagement with and between the collar tips 28 and the collar material at the top of the fold 23 whereby they may be operative as struts to stretch and stiffen the collar point portions, particularly when such portions are soft or limber as in a soft or unstarched collar. The members I2 are of similar structure but have their elements in mutually complementary, or rightand-left-hand arrangement for use at the right and left side points of a collar; accordingly, the following description of the elements thereof will be understood as applying to either and both of the-members I2. Since the point portions of collars of different manufacture or design may have diiTerent widths as measured from the collar tips to the top collar edge, the present construction of each member with the mutually adjustable sections I4 and I5 will be understood as providing for a maximum operative length of the member when the same is operatively associated with a collar point.

Referring now to the disclosed structures and relation of the sections I4 and I5 of the members I2, the section I5 is seen to comprise an element which is generally tubular for receiving the lower end of the section I4 in adjusted relation therein. At its upper end, the section I4 is provided with a rounded bend or-crook portion 3| for use as a thrust bearing within a collar fold. A V bend is provided at the lower end of the strut section I 4, and the bent back portion 32 thereat is formed with a lateral ofiset 33 therein providing a detent, said detent' lying in the plane of the V bend and extending outwardly of the space defined in the bend. Since the section 14 is shaped of resilient materiaL the portion 32 is understood to provide a resiliently displaceable mounting for the detent whereby said portion and the detent may be displaced in the plane of the V bend while its restoration to its normal position is re: siliently urged; in this manner the structure provides, in effect, a spring detent.

The tubular element H3 is of generally elliptical cross-section whereby its bore provides a space of elongated cross-section thereacrossand for receiving the V bend of the member M in the plane thereof. Notches 34 are provided along and through one edge of the element 5 for selectively receiving the detent 33, said detent arranged to be constantly displaced away from the section 4 while disposed in the bore of the element. l5; 7

in this manner, the detent is constantly urged outwardly to engage or remain in a notch 34.

For releasing the strut sections for mutual ad-' tip. As is particularly brought out in Figures 6. r

to 9 inclusive, the prong 36 comprises part of an element 35, said element shaped of a single piece of relatively'stiif wire or the like. In its present embodiment, .the element comprises theprong 36, a guard portion 31 extending perpendicularly from the base of the prong, aportion 38 extending perpendicularly from the portion 31 and in perpendicular relation to the common plane of the prong and the portion 31;;a" portion 39 making a right angle with the portion 38 and'in parallel opposition to the prong, a U-shaped portion 4| having its plane perpendicular to the portion 39, and an endportion 42 perpendicular to the plane of-the portion 4| and in parallel opposition to the 1 prong 36.- It isnoted that the variousportions of the element 35 are integrally associated in endto-end relation,-and that the portion 4| and prong 35 heat opposite sides of the plane defined by the portions 38, 39 and 42. r

As is particularly brought out in Figures 6 to 8 inclusive, the element 35 is so mounted at the lower end of the element |5 that the guard portion 3'! of the element 35 extends through a'flat front wall portion 43 of the element IS, the mutuaHy' coplanar. portions 38 and 39 and 42 lie within the bore of the element 5, and the portion 4| lies transversely againstthe lower end'of the element l5 to extend beyond the other fiat wall portion 44 of the latterelement. The portion 4|,

it;is noted; provides a guard for'thelower end of the element -|5 whereby the more-or-less sharp lower end of the wall portion 44 thereat may be held out of engagement with the garment front El, this functioning of the portion 4| being illustrated in Figure 4. In addition to the extension of the'guard portion 31 through a perforation of thewall 43 and the bearing of the portion 4| against the lower end of the element I5, the sides 43 and 44 of theelement may be pressed against and partially around the portions'39 and42 for completing a firm securement of the element in its mounted position.

By reference to Figure 7, it will be noted that the element I5 is adapted for shaping from a rectangular blank l5 having perforations 34- therein to provide the notches 34 when the element is shaped from the blank. With the element 35 placed thereon in its appointed position, v the side edges of the blankl5 may be brought 5 into mutual abutment at the front wall portion 43 and in a line through the perforation which receives the guard portion 31 of the element 35, I said perforation provided by complementary and/or stiifening the collar point in the indicated; 20 1 manner.

It will now be noted that. the two strut. meme bers both before and after an operative mounting of V the uniton a collar. from and between the ends of the bends 3| at points of the members l2 inwardly of, the line. of the extreme upper ends of the members, the, spacing of said points from said line being no less than the width ofrthe tie portions "22 ad-,30 7 Bowl: the tie knot.

The crossbar .l 3 comprises generally alignediend. portions 45 and a con,- necting arcuate portion 46.. Preferablyjand'aslf particularly shown in Figure 2, the unit portions 3| and 45 lie generally in a cylindrical surface 35 of curvature approximating that of thecollar, while the portion 46 extends obliquelydownwardlyand outwardly from such surface ,of.cur-. vature and the plane of the members 12...

In mounting the unit H in operative association with the collar I6 and necktie 2|,theloop ends 3| of the strut members arelpreferably en-Q' aged between the outer sides offthe tie portions 22 in the fold 23 and the collar portions,

and the crossbar I3 is placed behindthetie knot 1 crossbar portions 45 retainsthe tieknot'in its 5 pointed place, between the collar. points. When the collar tips 28 engage the garment front 21, the .central crossbar portion 46 is preferably, are ranged tobe deflected from its normal relationin the unit 1: by reason of its engagement with. 7

the back of the knot. 24; in this. manner, .the a collar tips are resiliently held against the gar-- ment front, it'being noted that the unit is generally operative as a bell-crank lever having its. fulcrum at the .points where. the strut ends 3| 0 engage the necktie band portions 22; ,The. unit. H is thus understood tobe inherentlyoperative to both smooth and stiffen the collarpoints'and.

v to hold the points. inwardly against the garment;

Normally, and as shown 'inFig ure l, the strut 5 members l2 are convergent fromtheir upper ends, said members assuming the approximately parallel relation shown in Figure 3 when the unit I is'operatively installed in association with a collar and necktie, By reason of the integral. structure 7 1' resiliently yielding qualities. interefere in anyl2 of the. unit II .are generally coplanar.

e crossbar .I3 extends'125' 1' way with the comfort of a person wearing the garment.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, together with a device which I now consider to be a preferred embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made, when desired, aS fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the following:

1. In a collar point stretcher for use with different turndown collars having point portions of differing lengths as measured from the fold of the collar, elongated strut members for operative disposal behind collar point portions, a cross-bar element connecting said members in unitary association, and adjustable means to adjust the length of each of said members to conform to the length of the collar point portion to be stretched therewith, and a releasable means for positively maintaining the adjusted length of each of said strut members whereby the member is arranged to operatively extend between the tip of said collar point and said collar fold.

2. In a collar point stretcher for use with a turndown collar having complementary collar point'portions extending from the fold of the collar, elongated strut members for concealed and operative disposal behind said collar point portions, a cross-bar connecting said members in unitary association, means on each member for fixedly engaging the tip of said collar, and adjustable means to adjust the length of each of said members whereby the disposal of the other end of the member in said fold while the first end engages the collar tip may be arranged to longitudinally compress the member as a strut between said fold and collar tip and thereby stretch the said collar point portion and releasable means normally operative for positively maintaining the adjusted length of each of said strut members.

3. In a stretcher for the point portions of a turndown collar, a pair of strut members extending from a common cross-bar element and each comprising an upper section formed of wire and shaped with a return bend at its upper end providing a thrust bearing for insertion in the fold of the collar, a lower section telescopically receiving the lower end of the first section, adjustable means coactive between the sections to positively and releasably secure them against relative movement and in any one of a plurality of adjusted relations whereby to provide for the adjustment of the effective length of the member, and a prong carried by said lower section for a limited and fixed degree of engagement in the tip of the collar point.

4. In a stretcher for the point portions of a turndown collar, a pair of strut members extending from a common cross-bar element and each comprising an upper section formed of resilient wire having a lower part turned back to define a V point at the lower end of the section an ofiset in said turned-back part extending outwardly from the V in the plane thereof, a lower tubular section of the member telescopically receiving said lower end of the first section therein, notches in said lower section for selectively receiving said offset whereby the same is operative therein as a detent to releasably retain said sections against relative longitudinal movement thereof, and a. prong carried by said lower section for a limited and fixed degree of engagement in the tip of the collar point from the back thereof.

5. In a stretcher for the point portions of a turndown collar of a garment; a pair of strut members extending from a common cross-bar element and each comprising telescopically engaged upper and lower sections; adjustable means cooperative between said strut sections of each member to positively secure the sections in adjusted relation; means on each upper strut section providing a thrust bearing at the upper end thereof; and a terminal element at the lower end of each lower section fixed thereto and providing a prong for piercing the collar tip, a guard portion to limit the degree of engagement of the prong in the collar tip, and a second guard portion engageable with the garment for preventing the direct engagement of the lower end of the lower said section with the garment.

6. In a stretcher for the point portions of a turndown collar, a cross-bar, strut members extending from the extremities of the cross-bar for engagement as struts between the tips of the collar point portions and the collar fold and each comprising a pair of telescopically engaged elements, and detent means coactive between the elements of each strut member to releasably secure the same in longitudinally adjusted relation whereby the strut member may be fitted to a collar point for operative engagement therewith.

7. In a stretcher for the point portions of a turndown collar, a crossbar, elongated strut members of adjustable length extending from said crossbar for operative disposal behind different collar point portions for stretching the latter, and releasable means normally operative for positively maintaining the length adjustment of each of said strut members.

8. In a stretcher for the point portions of a turndown collar, a pair of strut members extending from a common crossbar element and each comprising an upper section formed of wire and shaped with a return bend at its upper end providing a thrust bearing for insertion in the fold of the collar, a lower section telescopically receiving the lower end of the first section, and adjustable means coactive between the sections to posi tively and releasably interlock the sections against relative movement and in any one of a plurality of adjusted relations whereby to provide for the adjustment of the effective length of the member.

9. In a stretcher for the point portions of a turndown collar, a crossbar, strut members of adjustable length extentfing from the extremities of the crossbar for engagement as struts between the tips of the collar point portions and the collar fold and each comprising a pair of mutually aligned and engaged elements, and interlocking means coactive between the elements of each strut to releasably secure the same in longitudinally adjusted condition.

JOSEPH DE BENEDETTI. 

